Kidney Transplant: Does your creatinine bounce around?

Welcome @andysax. As @mir123 suggested you will find many members to connect with in the Transplants support group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/transplants/

To help you connect with others, I moved your question about rising and falling creatinine levels to this discussion that @hello1234 started when she was experiencing similar readings. See the full discussion here:
- Kidney Transplant: Does your creatinine bounce around? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-transplant-does-your-creatinine-bounce-around/

Andy, congrats on the new kidney. What does your transplant team say about the changing creatinine levels? You mention "common" doctor wants to do a biopsy. Which specialist have you seen?

Hi @andysax 😊
It's very nice to meet you! Congrats on the new kidney transplant. I just celebrated my FIVE year kidney transplant from Mayo.
It sounds like your creatinine blood tests are falling between 1.6 and 1.9 is that right?
Before you take your blood tests do you drink water?
I discovered that drinking the same amount of water each time I prepare for lab tests has helped tremendously to stabilize my creatinine blood level results.
If the creatinine level increases too much, a kidney biopsy is used to investigate why it's happening so the doctors can intervene before there is damage. It sounds like your creatinine level rises and then returns back to your baseline, is that right?

Hi
Yes that's right my level is defined in as ie 178umol/l
How do I calculate this figure to midlands
Cheers

@andysax
According to the internet, the conversion factor is .0113 but don't worry about the conversion. You said that your highest reading was 198 and your lowest was 160. With creatinine, the doctors tend to look at the trend rather then one reading. Is the trend for your results going up, going down, or bouncing around?
(I found that bouncing around was from my level of hydration.) But if my creatinine was continually going in the wrong direction, I would want to biopsy to see
why.
Did you have the 6 month protocol biopsy? Did it say anything that may be a clue to the current issue?

That is a very good suggestion for andysax about hydration. If you make sure that you are hydrated each time before doing labs that will eliminate that hydration is the issue.

Yes, I am also a post kidney transplant patient since July 2022 and I also have BK virus for a number of months now, my creatinine was pretty steady and then it increased, it wasn’t a dangerous increase, but I also had my immunosuppressant lowered

Hi mariags,
I had exactly your Son’s situation of low WBC and neutrophils for several months. Also low energy. I am a kidney transplant in my 8th month after the surgery done in Mayo.
For the energy, it has improved after 3-4 months. Then I stated walking outside gradually and that made me feel better until energy back to normal. My WBC and neutrophils reached very low , even lower than your Son’s, particularly neutrophils, it was almost zero. That stayed for 7 months with slight improvements . I did the injections also to raise WBC 3 or 4 times each included 3 injections, but not back to back. All started improving very slowly with time, such that I forgot about it thinking this is it. Then out of the blue the last blood test showed all numbers in the normal range! I could not believe
but it is true. I always wear masks when I go out. I don’t go out much unless very necessary since the surgery. I am always worried about infection. Those injections to increase WNC are just to raise it temporarily to avoid infection when WBC gets very low.
I believe time will help your son like my case.
Hope my experience helps.
Best wishes.